Street-sweeper.



PATENTED APR. 2l, 1903.

' E. CURTISS.

STREET SWBEPEB.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1902.

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wbb-nemen No. 725,939. PATENTBD APR. 2,1, 1.903, E. CURTISS.

STREET SWEBPER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1902.

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ENOS CURTISS, OF FINDLAY, OHIO.

STREETjSWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part ef Letters :Patent No. 725,939, dated April 21, 1903.

Application led April 22,1902. Serial No. 104,156. (No model.)y

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOS CURTISS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Findlay, county of Hancock, and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improve- .ment in a Combined Street Sweeper and Sprinkler, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in street-sweepers,and has for its obgect to provide a sweeper which is in-i tended to be attached behind a wagon: and the dust and dirt swept up will be carried up- `ward and loaded into the wagon or cart preceding the sweeper.

A further object of my invention is to pro- -vide a sweeper with a reservoir for containing water and so constructed that a sprinkler is carried ahead of the revolving brush, so asv to prevent raising of the dust by the sweeper.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then speciiically designated by the claim.

struction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawwheels of the sweeper, which are secured rigings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improved sweeper; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3, aplan view; Fig. 4, a front elevation. In the drawings, A represents the two main idly upon the axle B, extending transversely across the machine.

C represents two beams arranged uponeach side of the machine, and these two beams are joined togetherat the rear by the cross-beam D. These side beams, together with the crossbeam D, constitute the main framework of the machine, and the side beams are set at an angle slanting from the rear and are sup-y ported upon the axle B at a point midway between their ends. The framework is also supported at the rear by means of a casterwheel E, pivoted in the center of the crossbeam D.

In order that those skilled inthe art to` which this invention appertains may under-j stand how to make and use the same, the con- F is a housing arranged between the side beams C' and secured thereto, and this housing isinclined upward and forward the same as .the side beams, and upon the interior of the housing is arranged an endless traveling belt G, which at the lower and rearward end passes around a roller H, which roller is d riven upon theoutside of the housing by means of a link belt I, which passes around a large sprocket-wheel 1I, secured to the main axle B, and also around a small sprocket-wheel K, secured upon the same shaft as the roller H. At the upper and forward end of the housing F is arranged an idle roller L, around which the endless belt Gr also passes. At the upper and forward end of the housing is arrangedv a downwardly-projecting chute M, andthe idle roller L is so arranged that anything carried upward by the endless belt G will fall `of the rotary brush is secured a friction-wheel P, which is adapted to be held in contact when the machine is in operation with the main wheel A upon the same side of the machine as the friction-wheel P and the bar O. Upon the upperrvend of the bar O is formed ratchet-teeth arranged in a circle concentric to the pivotal point O', and these-ratchet teeth are adaptedto be engaged by a pawl Q, pivoted to a support Q', secured firmly to the .side beam C. This is for the purpose of hold.

ing the friction-wheel P in or out of engagement with the main wheel A.

R is'a coupling by which the sweeper may be attached to a wagon or cart, and when the sweeper is so attachedth'e chute M will lie over the box of the wagon or cart, so thatanything falling from said chute willfall into the body of the wagon.

It will be seen that as the sweeper is pulled I forward by being connected to the wagon or cart the rotary brush will be caused to revolve IOO by means of its friction-wheel I being in contact with the main wheel A, and this revolution will be such as to throw the dirt and dust forward into the housing F and onto the traveling apron Gr. This apron will then carry the dust or dirt upward and as it passes ott the apron will fall through the chute M into the wagon-body.

For the purpose of preventing the raising 1 of a dust as the sweeper passes through the streets I provide a reservoir S, which is ar ranged upon the machine and supported by the side beams C, and this reservoir is connected bya pipe T with a sprinkler U, arranged below the forward end of the housing F, so that the street will be sprinkled in advance of the rotary brush.

V is a valve arranged within the pipe T, and W is a valve-rod extending forward to the forward portion of the housing F and there provided with a handle, so that the valve can be opened or closed by the driver of the wagon. The rotary brush is capped, as represented at X, so as to prevent any of the dust or dirt which may cling to the brush to be thrown upward or to the rear.

The advantage of my invention is that in sweeping the street with myimproved sweeper the dirt and dust is not brushed to one side to be gathered up later by carts, but is elevated at once and deposited in the cart ahead of the sweeper, and by providing the sweeper with a sprinkler attachment the great amount of dust raised by ordinary sweepers is done away with.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, as slightlnodications could be made without departing from the spirit of'my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is In a street-sweeper, a pair of main drivingwheels rigidly mounted upon an axle, a suitable frame secured to the axle at an incline, a caster pivoted in the rear crossbeam ofthe frame, a bar having,r a bearing-box at one end and ratehetteeth arranged in a semieirele at its opposite end, said bar being pivoted intermediate its length to the frame of the sweeper, a rotary brush having one end of its shaft journaled in a bearing secured to the frame and its opposite end journaled in the bearing-box on the end of the bar, a frictional wheel rigidly mounted on the end of the shaft, a post carrying a pawl secured to the frame, said pawl adapted to register with the ratchet-teeth on the bar whereby the frictional wheel is held in Contact with the tire of the main driving-wheel, an upwardlyinclined housing secured to the frame and extending from the brush upward, a downwardly-depending chute leading from the upper end of the housing, an endless apron arranged within the housing and means for driving said apron from the main axle substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ENOS CURTISS.

Witnesses:

H. C. MALEY, JOHN F. ARNO. 

